The Hourglass Alchemist
by madeline.james
Summary: Follows Brotherhood. Set mid-series. Ed and Al get sent on what seems like a simple mission. Hunt down an alchemy using serial killer. Not to hard right? But like always, trouble finds the Hero of the People.


**Hi, hi ^_^ I've not written an Anime fanfiction before so please be patient with me. This is Mangaverse, or Brotherhood whichever haha. Hints of EdxWin so I hope you don't mind :3 probably placed (SPOILER ALERT) after Hughe's death, (major sob fest mind you). I hope you en joy this! Please R&R! 3  
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**This doesn't belong to me, Arakawa Hiroaki gets all the glory for the wonderful creation that is Ed :D **

**Chapter One:**

**Hourglass Awakening.**

Camel coloured grains of sand dusted across the prominent ivory cheek bone, building a pyramid around the prone figures young face; burying the blonde braid as the pile thickened. Small puffs of the grains were blown away with the small laboured breaths the youth was expelling, the violent red flamel jacket almost non-existent beneath the dry rain. Sweat beaded on the creased forehead, small grains sticking to the much needed moisture in greedy hunger.

As delicate seconds ticked by the youth rolled over, frown increasing as a red flush coloured his pale cheeks, oxygen bringing him from the deep slumber of unconsciousness. Golden eyes slowly opened, unfocused and blurry as they struggled to make sense of where they were. Tilting his head to the side, eyes widening as he took in the steadying amount of sand surrounding him he lifted the only part of his body that seemed to be responding to him; albeit sluggishly and watched the sand fall in drifts from the grooves of the dulled metal of his right arm.

With a violent start, Edward Elric sat up and coughed gagging on the dryness that coated his tongue and mouth, a small pile of sand trickling from his chapped lips. Moaning, and bringing the cool metal of his automail hand to his forehead, Ed looked around himself. He was encased in a human sized hourglass, a steady stream of sand falling on his head heavily.

What made his heart beat erratically though, wasn't the obvious lack of oxygen or startling lack of fresh air but the three other hourglasses, forming a perfect square one on each point. He couldn't make out the further occupants of the glass prisons, quickly filling with the suffocating sand but he could make out the blonde ponytail, tall legs and blue mini skirt and jacket ensemble Winry so cherished. Edward wondered how long he had been unconscious for; Winry was almost half submerged in the golden material.

In a panic he started pounding on the thick glass; breathe picking up as he was only met with a dull thud even to his ears, automail hand barely even gracing the surface as he slammed the fist down as hard as he could. When Winry continued to lay there and be buried by the sand a light bulb seemed to go off inside his head and he slammed his hands together violently, sending a shockwave through his left flesh hand. Pushing aside the shock of pain he hit the glass again, this time expecting the explosion of blue energy to spread over the small space and welcome him with cool air.

When nothing happened, Ed simply stood under the torrents of sand dumbfounded for a moment. Looking at his hands pressed against the glass, wondering why it hadn't opened in to a doorway for him, just like he had imagined in his mind's eye. Clapping his hands for a second time and repeating the action, to find nothing was happening he looked down at his palms in baffled confusion, aureate eyes clouding over in shock as a large portion of the sand cascaded over his shoulders, washing down the back of his shirt and jackets.

Falling to his knees Edward Elric didn't readily give in to defeat and spent crucial minutes clapping his hands and slamming them together only to come to the same conclusion over and over again. Not even drawing up a transmutation circle was achieving anything, only the same sting of power fizzling out useless in his fingertips and expending energy he didn't have to give.

Sinking further to the sandy floor of the hourglass, panting as he struggled to bring in even breaths Edward watched as the sand slowly covered Winry's mouth, he weakly hit his automail hand against the glass one last time as the air got thinner and the sand got thicker. Edward felt his eyes slipping shut against the grittiness that was creeping into his eye sockets, inhaling sand more and more often as he opened and closed his mouth around words of apology to Winry, for getting her in to all this mess in the first place.

_To Be Continued… _

Sneaky little end there, who knows what could have happened, or why our favourite Hero of the People is in this predicament. Will have to come back for more and wait and see hey folks!


End file.
